


Listen to the Wind, it Speaks

by lesbianshibs



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Neji's favourite tea is Jasmine and no I will not argue about it, Past Character Death, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:46:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28499271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianshibs/pseuds/lesbianshibs
Summary: Years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, Gai visits Neji's grave for their daily tea time.-In which Gai tells his stories, asks his questions and lets himself be silent.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Listen to the Wind, it Speaks

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Guys! This little piece started off as a dump in baccadarby's discord messages and I loved it so much I wanted to turn it into something real! I might add a second chapter about a visit from Lee, and if I'm feeling confident !!! maybe even the rest of the gang !!!

Might Gai used to visit Neji’s grave for tea time once a week. Now he’s retired, and the ‘weekly’ turned to ‘daily’.

Gai always sounds so boisterous at the tea times. People look at him funny, but since when do they not? They already think he’s the strangest man in the village, he doesn’t have anything to prove to them. It's in his spirit, he can't just  _ be quiet  _ when he's telling one of his precious proteges about the various ins and outs of their coworkers' love lives! That is important information Neji should be aware of! 

Although, every once and awhile… Gai gets quiet. He lets the silence simmer over the untouched cup of jasmine tea on the gravestone and his own nearly empty glass. He can feel his hands shake as he sets the cup on the saucer, but he doesn't try to hide it or stop it. He'd take a deep breath to make sure Neji knew he was about to speak, about to say something important. He didn't get like this often, really only on the bad days. God _ ,  _ when he talked like this he always sounded so  _ nervous _ , so... unsure? It wasn't like himself, it was so peculiar for him to act this way. But he didn't mind acting weird around Neji sometimes, because... it's important to be vulnerable and honest around people you care about. Tell them the truth. And at this moment Gai has an obstruction curling it’s way around his heart. An itching concern about his grandson.

"Metal had a big tumble during training yesterday. He… it wasn't bad, he's fine! No- he's  _ great _ ! Of course he is, he's the son of the leaf's handsome devil! He wouldn't be bested so easily by an overgrown tree route! He took it  _ incredibly  _ well, he didn’t shed a single tear! Ah! Ah, but... But... When he picked himself back up again he had this...  _ look _ in his eyes. It was strange. It wasn't like his father's usual determined stare, it was…” Gai takes a pause, shifting in his seat. His spine has started to ache from the continuous sitting. He’ll have to walk back home on his hands. “Heh... Don't you think it's odd that people can be so similar to those who they've never met? Metal knows  _ of _ you, that's for sure, you know that. Lee and I don't let a single day go to waste without your memory in our lives, Tenten and Hinata don’t either. He’s heard stories, seen pictures and paintings. But he's never experienced the nuance of... you. He doesn't have any semblance of what you were like to exist around. To train with. But when he stood up yesterday…"

Gai can feel his fingers clutching the teacup in a deathly grip, porcelain creaking under his grip. He can’t force himself to relax. 

"He looked like you. He's the  _ spitting _ image of Lee, his genes stuck like glue to that boy. It's hard for him to look quite like anyone else. But the expression in his eyes, that  _ fire _ , that unique stare that calculates and  _ knows _ . The passion it held. I haven't seen you look like that in a long, long time. Of course, I haven't seen you in a long, long time either but, haha, it would be impossible for someone like me, who cares so deeply about his valuable students, to forget about the look in their eyes when they train so intensely…" 

Silence settles over the cemetery once more. It lasts longer this time, Gai can feel the light breeze whisk through his hair gently.

It's almost dusk, he should be heading home to prepare dinner soon. 

"I think... I should bring Metal down here one day soon. Lee brought him to you a couple of times when the boy was younger but... Lee finds it so hard to come here, you know that. You two were best friends. He gets  _ so _ overwhelmed with passionate, youthful emotion. When was the last time he stayed by your side for more than a few minutes? Weeks ago? Months?” Gai sighs to himself, closing his eyes and dropping his head back onto his wheelchair’s backrest. “But Metal is five now, six soon. He deserves to meet you for  _ real _ , don't you think Neji? Do you have an opinion on the matter, my pupil?" 

A huge gust of wind blows by, rocking gai's body to the side and making the metal of his chair creak. The wind always blows like this when he asks a question. Well. Sometimes it doesn't, but Gai takes that as a 'no' rather than a 'yes'. 

He… feels in his heart that Neji is truly listening when he visits, twisting the wind back and forth gently as Gai speaks, stalling it or rushing it to give an answer to any question. Although... Gai doesn't ask things very often. If every instance of the wind answering him so far was purely coincidence, it would most certainly break his heart just a little bit more. He figures a question every once and while wouldn't hurt, that this should be the one thing he shouldn't push his luck on. 

But God does Neji wish Gai would ask more questions. 

Gai would bring Metal down the next day. The small boy holds a basket of treats and jasmine tea. He’s such a talkative young man, asking Gai an abundance of questions. So many questions. Why jasmine tea? What's the incense for? Does uncle Neji like that kind of candle? Should we have brought flowers? Will the picnic blanket make people stare at us? Of course Gai will answer every single one enthusiastically. 

Until Metal begins asking Neji the questions. Worry sparks in the pit of Gai's stomach, for the first time in a long time. What is he worried about? Metal being disappointed at the lack of answer? His own small illusion cracking in front of his eyes? He isn’t sure but... The wind is speaking nonetheless. Maybe he didn't have to worry. Gai places a hand on his grandson's shoulders, smiling gently and tapping his own ear. 

"Listen to the wind, my boy. Go slow for him, your uncle's an old soul." 

And so metal does. He asks  _ question _ after  _ question _ after  _ question.  _ He’s delighted when the wind swooshes past his face, mousing up his hair. He'll pout when the wind stops completely, shoulders slumping slightly before he bounces back almost immediately. Gai leans back in his chair, happy for once in his life... to be silent. 

He thinks that Neji probably likes being an uncle.

**Author's Note:**

> THANK U SO MUCH FOR READING !!!! 
> 
> if you liked it please drop a kudos or comment, OR drop some constructive criticism because i /know/ this piece isn't exactly perfect !!
> 
> find me anywhere as @/lesbianshibs or @/neonklucy !!!


End file.
